There is a wonderful collaboration between ants and aphids in nature. They always live close. If there are many ants crawling around on the cotton seedlings that have recently been unearthed, there must be a lot of aphids on the cotton seedlings. Of the 2200 known species of aphids in the world, most are crop pests. However, ants and aphids "collude" and always care for and protect them, making aphids more unscrupulous in harming crops.
After the aphid sucks the plant juice, all it needs is nutrients such as protein, and the excess sugar is excreted from the body through the abdominal tube, forming a very viscous and transparent sweet liquid honeydew. Ants are very fond of sweet insects. In order for the aphid to secrete more honeydew, the ant often uses its rod-like antennae to beat the aphid's abdomen. Ants also use sacs to transport nectar back to their nests for storage.
What's more, ants will go to great lengths to build "pastures" to protect aphids, just as humans raise cows to drink milk. The ants smear dirt on the aphid-grown plant stalks and build a small earthen house on the stems. Aphids are free to stab and suck up the sap of the plant. Ants guard the entrance to the small mud hut. If there are other nest ants coming to rob, the guards will drive them away. Therefore, ant wars occur from time to time.
When there are too many aphids in a "pasture", the ants will take the aphids to a new "pasture". Ants also keep aphid eggs in their nests for the winter. To avoid dampness, when it comes to good weather, ants will remove these eggs from their nests and allow them to "sunbathe". In the spring, when aphids hatch, the ants carefully send them to the young branches to live, just as people lead cattle into the green grass.
Aphids have many natural enemies, such as ladybugs, spotflies, wasps, wasps, spiders, ticks, sandflies, mantises, aphid-eating flies, etc. When aphids find danger, they will emit a special odor liquid at the end of their abdomen, that is, alarm pheromones. After receiving an alarm message from an aphid, the ant will stand up and attack the aphid's predator until it is driven away.
There is an adaptive cooperative relationship between ants and aphids: aphids provide food for ants, and ants act as "guardians" of aphids, protecting aphids and creating a good feeding environment for aphids.
Scientists believe that when ants crawl on tree roots or leaves, their feet secrete a chemical that calms the aphids and inhibits the growth of aphid wings, making the aphids very quiet and slow to move, so they can follow the control of the ants and are not easy to "escape". The chemical footprints left by the ants are like natural handcuffs that turn an aphid into an ant slave. In order to keep the aphid population close to its own number, thus providing them with the right amount of honeydew, ants sometimes even eat some aphids. Therefore, this method can also make it easier for ants to prey on aphids.
While on the surface, both sides benefit from each other's relationships, the world of ants and aphids isn't always so harmonious and happy. For aphids, ants can be their most dangerous "friends."